Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-03
PROSPEROUS FAKERS.
Fortune Teliers Thrive Because of the Credul-
ity of the Ignorant and Superstitious.

Fortune Tellers Thrive Because of the Credul-
ity OF the Ignorant and Superstitious.
:. New York Mail and Express
There are at, least five or six hundred
regular professional clairvoyants or for
tune tellers in the city who prey upon
the credulity of ignorant and fire.
quently well-educated people," sold a
prominent physician to reporter. ssThe
business signs of these seers are bold ly
put out to attract attention and rope in
weak minded customers. Just take a
a walk down Third, Sixth, and Eighth ay-
enues and you will find any number of
these business signs. A majority of the
clalrvoyants try to get IS conveniently
near the tenement districts as possible;
great deal of patronage comes from
the poor. The expose Of the bogus as
trologer, !. De Leon, has no perceptible
effect upon these fortune tellers. As
long as the world contains people who
are ignorant and superstitious these
takers will find customers to pay them
for valueless information. Two young
ladies who were we'll educated and have
not only the comforts but the luxuries of
life paid visit to noted clairvoyant
on Sixth avenue. 4 tall man with long
hair met them in the parlor and request
ed one of them to step into the clairvoy-
ant room. The younger went in and was
Mortified when he locked the door. She
resolved to have her fortune told. The
long haired seer meant business, and stat
ed his scale of prices for telling it i'm
mediately.
II Will answer one question for so cts.
and tell your fortune, past, present and
future, for the sum of So
"The young lady gave him so cts. and
asked him a question. He answered it
Immediately, and she was permitted to
go back to the parlor. Her companion.
though, was more than match for the
c1airyoyant He stated his prices and
urged her to expend SIS and know her fate
in full. He told her she had a remark
able history, some facts of which her
parents knew nothing, and that she was
destined to create stir in the world at
time he could specify. Finally he said,
critically:
"'You believe I am a humbug, don't
your
"'Of course do, she frankly answered.
/" L knew 1t when you entered, but can
tell your fortune all the same,' he quickly
answered.
''She gave him SO cents for one q ues-
tisn. The question staggered him. He
handed her back the money and said his
influence was on the wane in the spirit
world. He had little boy who guided
him, and lately the chap had grown rest
i've and played pranks on him. He could
have answered the question correctly, but
the boy was not paying attention. The
result was that he was endeavoring to
hunt out in the spirit world all influence
that he could rely upon in all emergen-
c1es. He volunteered the information
that party of five were coming from
Boston, and that each had already depos-
tied the sum of SIS to hear their fate
in full. He was willing for the young
lady to go into the pool. Now, those two
girls departed Disguised with the hoary-
headed prophet. Bat they call it fun and
will doubtless visit some other clairvoy-
.voyant. I think law should be passed
declaring fortune telling either by means
of so-called trance-Rlediums, clairvoy
ants, cards, hand-reading or palmistry,
astrology, coffee-grounds, voodooism, or
charmssto be a misdemean0r and punish
able by fine and Imprisonment when
money is taken for the same. It is sim
ply system of vagabondage, Or license
to cheat and swindle the ignorant. I
know it is hard to protect the ignorant
against themselves, but when open-hand-
ed swindling is carried on under the na1ne
of so-called fortune tellers, then the law
should deal with the culprits. The ignor-
ant people who patronize clairvoyants do
not for once take into consideration that
if these seers can find out so much there
would be no necessity for charging fees
their influence could tell them how to
~ ~, %I,x Io&
terry ticket.